Liverpool leaving it until the last minute to decide whether Divock Origi will feature in Europa League final

17-05-2016

Divock Origi's involvement in the UEFA Europa League won't be determined until the very last minute, Jürgen Klopp has stated, with the striker having only returned from an ankle injury a few days ago prior to Wednesday's showpiece showdown with Sevilla in Basel.

With the injury having cut off the No.27's campaign just when he was hitting full stride, scoring five goals in five appearances including crucial strikes against Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals and a towering header in the Merseyside Derby.

And he will be hoping to cap off the season with a cameo in the final at St. Jakob-Park after taking part in the Reds' open training session on Tuesday night, with Klopp keen to continue monitoring his fitness to determine whether he can be involved.

Liverpool willing to leave it late on Origi

Origi, in the orange boots a few yards from goal, trains the night prior to the final. (Picture: Getty Images)

The German added that they "had another session" earlier this week in which the 21-year-old forward featured and said that he "did well" in that and the previous session at Melwood on Sunday.

Suggesting that he was disappointed not to have an element of surprise as per Origi's inclusion, joking that the journalists can "watch it" which means they the club "can do nothing." However, he explained that they "will see how it [the injury] feels" and then "make a decision" about his chances of featuring.

Even having the Belgium international in contention for a place in the match-day squad, with it more likely that Origi could be an option off the bench for the last 15-20 minutes, is a significant boost for Liverpool.

The striker has had a fine season, his best performances coinciding with an immense development and progression since Klopp's arrival at the club, as one of five players to hit double figures across all competitions - just two less than joint-top goalscorers Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho.

Those two are expected to form part of the Reds' attacking quartet, which also includes Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino, with Klopp likely to field the same side which drew 1-1 withChelsea a week ago.